


Her Scar

by orphan_account



Series: 9 Canon Stories [2]
Category: 9 (2009)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animal Attack, F/M, Injury, Male-Female Friendship, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27268954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Relationships: 1 & 2 (9), 2 & 5 (9), 5 & 7 (9), 6 & 3 & 4 (9)
Series: 9 Canon Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1991041
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	Her Scar

__________________

The world as they had known is had gone from a chaotic hell to a cold, silent grave. 5 could still hear the heavy footfalls of the Machines echoing in the darkest depths of his mind, the humans scattering and futilely trying to stop them, the sirens, the bombs. The horrible _screaming._ It went on for hours into the night; the young ragdoll didn't think it would ever end.

Not one of the other survivors thought it would either. All they knew was that they had to find a sanctuary while barely surviving the war they'd woken up in.

1 was a creature brimming with contempt, the eldest and perhaps that of which gave him a reason to be the self-proclaimed head of the band. Along with finding the Sanctuary and taking up the burden of leadership, he established rules: do your fair share of work, report to him after scavenging, no incompetent inquiries, do not leave the cathedral, and do _not_ disobey him.

5 wouldn't ever voice his thoughts on the old man. Frankly, no one did- except for 7, and 2 when he was being extra sprightly.

7 did her fair share of work, even double if the other younger creations needed help. She sometimes missed headcounts when she went to her loft after scavenging and spoke with 2 behind closed doors, releasing all the bountiful questions she had. She often left the Sanctuary for 'a breath of fresh air', without 1's sayso.

All in all, she relished disobeying him. She liked not being _afraid,_ of him, the Emptiness, and anything else.

Was that enough for her though? Apparently not. 7's latest stunt to fry 1's last nerves was leaving their established hideout for a while. A whole day in fact, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Where in the bloody hell could she have gone?" 1's hooked staff rapped the floor. The clocktower practically shook, and 5 cowered before him much like a lowly peasant. 

"I don't know, she didn't tell me where she went," 5 answered plaintively. He'd tried to explain his innocence dozens of times, but he was the only one besides 2 who kept friendly tabs with 7, therefore he was responsible for her disappearance.

"Peace, now, peace! Perhaps instead of wondering where she went.." Overhearing the commotion, 2 spoke up, steadying his apprentice. "We could each keep a lookout around the Sanctuary. Five and I will take the Watchtower."

1 gave a " _humph"_ as he scowled down upon the two. Very rarely did he agree with the inventor, and as the days passed, he appeared to be storing an unsaid hatred for him. “Fine. 8 and I will keep a lookout near the Narthex and Nave."

8, a behemoth of a stitchpunk, looked up from where he was hunkered beside his master's throne. He had been fashioning a helmet from a salt shaker cap and stood, grunting in agreement to the plan.

2 looked to 5, patting his shoulder encouragingly and hobbling off. "Let's go tell the others, my boy."

5 avoided 1's narrow pupils and hurried behind his mentor. They descended to the lower levels of the cathedral on a bucket elevator system they had installed about a month ago. They'd made a variety of other useful things while sheltered, one of them he was sure 2 wanted to test out in the Watchtower. It would definitely help them try and locate 7.

5 was suddenly antsy again thinking about her. What on Earth had gotten into her? What would she possibly hope to gain by escaping for a whole day?

Seeming to sense his thoughts, 2 clutched the rim of the bucket and said softly, "She's a wild one, Five, always has been. She can't be kept to the confinements of this place. Especially with you know who."

"But _why?"_ his apprentice blurted, cranking the winch moderately. "We just finished finding one another. The Machines and Big People are dead but we don't even know for sure. There's nothing out there but danger!"

"I'm sure she knows that," 2 assured, once more patting his back, "but sometimes we have to run to realize what we left behind."

What 7 left behind was a worried lot of survivors, that's what. 5 wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she wound up missing forever, or worse, found lifelessly strewn in the middle of the Emptiness...

As they stepped out of the bucket, 5 touched the leather side of his face, where his other optic would have been. _Nothing but danger. How could anyone be drawn to it?_

6 and the Twins were playing a game of hopscotch, the gallery floor smeared with ink. Between tossing a pebble for each marker, 6 was doodling on a piece of a pamphlet with his claws. He had been doing that ever since they found shelter, mumbling incoherently, and seeming to have a few screws loose. 1 had confined the 'lunatic' to an alcove, not wanting him or a single drawing in the upper Clocktower and forbidding anyone from motivating his activities.

None of the others really knew why since they hadn't gotten a glimpse of the drawings 1 tended to confiscate. Whatever 6's subject matter was made the eldest more irritable, that was certain.

"Hello there, little fellows," 2 said brightly as he and 5 approached. "It seems as though we need help discovering 7's whereabouts. Would you like to pitch in?"

The two twin dolls flickered their optics at each other in their odd way of communicating, then scuttled up, bobbing their heads. They were twitchy, righteously so since they looked to 7 as a maternal figure, and she protected them from 1's thin patience and 8’s hulking disposition.

"Out there.. out there waiting.."

"Huh?" 5 glanced beside him, where 6 was shuffling up, babbling, and dragging the big scrap of paper. His mismatched optics were wide, pensive. "Out there, tried to warn her. Big, metal monster stalked my dreams. It now stalks her, I’m sure.."

5's limbs stiffened up at the eerie description. "What? A Machine?"

They went completely silent, staring at the drawing 6 then held up. On the paper was a fearsome, splattery scribble, the only distinguishable thing being a pointed, jagged maw, outstretched talons, and a single, bloodthirsty eye. A nightmarish creature.

6 had worked himself up into a fret, muttering, and insisting ‘it’ was out there. He started tugging at his tuft of yarn, and 5 tried to console him, saying, “Hey, hey, you’re okay. Seven’s okay, I know we’re just all worried about her. Nothing’s out there. You're just having nightmares about the War-”

“No! No, no, no!" 6 objected, letting the paper slip to the floor. "Nothing you know, nothing it _seems,”_ the striped ragdoll got a little too close for comfort, pointing a claw straight at 5's forehead. “Real, real, _real,_ I say!”

“Now, now.” 2 wrapped an arm around the artist's shoulder, leading him down the gallery. The inventor glanced at 5, who picked up the hint and started ushering the Twins along.

“Would you like to come up to the Watchtower with us, Six?" Two asked, speaking kindly and enthusiastically. "We’re finishing a project, and we need someone to test it out. Someone who can see things no one else can. How does that sound, lad, better than that stuffy hideaway?”

To 5’s surprise, 6 was pacified, peering around like a bird and nodding absently. He figured 2 didn’t want to leave any of these younger dolls to their own patrol assignments. They were spooked from 6’s strange drawings and premonitions..

5 wasn’t sure if he believed them, but dwelling on them didn’t improve his mood.

After arriving at the topmost level of the cathedral, 2 dramatically unveiled the 'project'. It was a long contraption the youngsters hadn't seen before.

“This apparatus was my design, borrowed from one of your books,” he nodded to the Twins with a breathless chuckle, “but 5 did a splendid job building it. Don’t you all think so?”

3 and 4 glanced up at 5, clicking and grinning. 6 had a curious gleam as he clutched the engineer’s arm with an endearing "Ooh".

Goofy and shy from all the attention, 5 stammered and rubbed his neck. “Aw, c’mon, 2, show them how it works.”

Laughing, the elder beckoned 6 over. “Come now, take a peek in this lens. I’d have 5 do this, but he’s still getting used to his patch. I’d do it too, but my sockets are rather rickety. You young’uns had the better parts, tsk, tsk.”

The Twins scurried on either side of the mounted device, and 5 leaned over when the oddball gasped. “What do you see, 6?” he prompted.

“Oh!” 6 crowed, twisting the telescope with newfound zeal. “Over the hills and onward! So vast, the world goes on forever!”

“I knew you’d like it.” 2 smiled satisfactorily. “We creatures, we have a bit of tunnel vision, don’t we? This doodad will give us a brand new scope of our surroundings.”

Tugging 2’s shoulders, the Twins chittered and flickered, begging for a turn. After peeling 6 from the telescope, each one was given their proper peek.

“Would you like to see, Five?" 2 inquired. "At least try? It’d do well to sharpen your sight.”

Unsure at first, 5 decided to give it a go. He bent slightly and squinted, focusing with his good and only eye.

Wow! This _was_ incredible! While the landscape was plenty dreary and lifeless, seeing with the telescope was an experience to mentally record. He’d never seen this far in his life, and it felt like he could just reach out, touch the crumbling buildings and skeletons of vehicles…

He craned the device down, lost in the wonder. And then, 5 yelped, “Oh no. Two!”

“What is it?” His mentor stepped up. His tone was quick and sharp.

“Seven!" 5 exclaimed. "She’s- She’s back... And she’s hurt!”

* * *

Stumbling up the gateway path, the corduroy female saw them running towards her and smiled despite the burning slash on her back.

Submitting to the pain, the ground rushed up to meet her. 7 was barely conscious for 1’s berating, 2 telling him to back off while they worked. 5’s scared expression showed up once or twice, and she felt the Twins stroke her, flickering anxiously between themselves.

She was seated, no longer jostled but still assaulted with stinging sensations. The muffled sounds returned as if she'd merely been underwater, and she fought to keep her consciousness.

“Out, out." 2 was shooing 6 out of the Workshop. “We need room, go on now."

“It was out there, I told you!” the artist rambled, darting behind the curtain. “Out there, stalking, waiting, hungry for what we hold..."

“Enough, you raving idiot,” came 1’s rebuke. 6 whimpered like a kicked dog, off to seek refuge in the shadows.

5 retrieved a large, red cloth that was about the size of the slash. When 2 went to shepherd the Twins out, he stopped him. “Hold on, we could use them. I can barely see this needle’s eye and 7 could use the company.”

Trusting, 2 let them stay. 3 held 7’s shaking fingers while 5 handed 4 a needle, reminding them to be careful. The hooded doll nodded, taking one glance at 7's hunched form before they began to feed the thread through with grim purpose.

“I’ll hold this up while you sew,” 5 murmured as 2 angled the cloth around the ragged hole. 

“No, no,” 2 countered. “You need practice if you’re to be the healer as well, my boy. You should do this.”

“What?” 5 was baffled and glanced at 7’s torn back. Her metal inner workings were visible, soul chamber beating, and at the mercy of anything that strayed too close. “No, I-I can’t do this-"

“You can do it, 5.” The warrior’s hoarse but firm voice surprised the four of them. It usually left little room for argument, and 5 gave in for his friend’s sake.

“Okay. I don’t want to hurt you, you’re in enough pain as it is-”

“You won’t. If you do, you’ll be doing me a favor.”

“Seven,” he whispered, mortified. She was bold, but... Never that morbid. Had she sounded guilty?

“Let’s get on with it,” 2 said. "4, please give 5 that needle."

The instrument suddenly seemed too sharp in his hands. But 5 knew leaving 7 exposed like this would leave her body prone to infection. She would pass out too, from the sheer pain. He knew what it felt like...

Fingering his patch, he then readied the needle. “Here we go. Hang on, Sev.” The silver tip pierced through her fabric smoothly.

7 went rigid. She hissed at the sizzling sensation, clenching 3’s hand tightly.

Thinking it as his mistake, 5 apologized in a stutter. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“She’s just reacting to the injury,” 2 informed. “Keep going, you’re doing fine, lad.”

5 obeyed his teacher and kept weaving the needle through. The procedure took some time since 7 needed a break to regather herself when it became too much. 5 was amazed that she was bearing through with the operation with such tenacity. She really was the strongest stitchpunk… in spirit at least. 

“There, nearly finished,” 2 soothed, backing away once 5 was able to keep the patch in place himself. The inventor joined the Twins in comforting 7. “You’re a true fighter, my dear. It’s always been your best quality.”

At his tone, 5 felt something weird nip at his innards, like a hot spark. He hardened his gaze and he tugged at the red stitching. “Why were you even out there for so long, Seven?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered.

“And we should just accept that? Seven we were worried sick.” 

“I get it, okay? Lay off.”

“What had attacked you?” 2 steered the pair away from turning the situation any more sour. “6 said something-”

“A mechanical beast," 7 whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "It moved so stealthily, I was hardly able to fight it off.”

2 rubbed his optic rim. He didn't ever think Machines would still be operating. He’d thought they’d all been destroyed during one of the only successful human attacks on that dreadful Factory. Perhaps the band of survivors had been indeed too hasty to think the world was completely dead...

“You should have come home,” 5 said, unsure of why he was still trying to patronize 7; that was 1’s job. Maybe he was preparing her for that. Or maybe he was seriously paranoid. He hoped she knew that meant he cared about her. 

“Look, I get it, but don’t you see? ” 7 whirled around, yanking the needle from his grip. The atmosphere became frosty faster than anyone could blink. “That thing is out there! 1 had been wrong, and how do we know we’re not just sitting ducks under his blasted tyranny?”

“He brought us here. He wanted to keep us safe and you..” 5 forced out the rest of the sentence as her pupils contracted threateningly. “You leaped right into danger.”

“You can’t be serious!” 7 exploded. “Are you _that_ willing to stay blind Five?”

“My dear, that's enough,” 2 warned sternly. He held a hand out to pacify her, but she was adamant.

“No! Are you _all_ this blind? I may have discovered a new danger, but staying cooped will do us no good!” 

“And yelling won’t solve anything either,” 5 pointed out.

“Go to hell,” 7 seethed over her shoulder. She was shaking again and refused to look at him. “You’re impossible. I don’t know why I would ever be your friend.”

His mouth slackened. 5 recoiled, her words slapping him across the face. The Twins pressed next to one another, not daring to make a single click.

“Seven!” 2 admonished the female doll with a look of incredulity. “I know you must feel shameful about leaving, but taking this predicament out on Five- _all_ of us -isn’t right.”

“No. She is right in a way.”

All optics were on 5 again as he finished tying 7’s sutures. “We let 1 crackdown on us too much, and I bet he didn’t even believe 6 when he showed him the pictures. He kept his drawings away, never told us about them... It was almost like he _knew_ -”

“What’s all this?” Speak of the devil. The great and powerful leader parted the curtains, stepping through and catching the scent of trouble. 5 wondered if he had been listening, just waiting for the right moment to pierce his scorn into anyone in his path.

“You,” 1 glared at 7, who matched his look with boiling hatred. “If this monster exists, you have led it right to us! You’ve doomed us with your selfish actions.”

"Oh please," she growled.

He then turned on 5, backing the shorter stitchpunk against the worktable until they were optic-to-optic. “And what are you doing, conspiring against me, you blundering fool?" 1 snarled. "Do you wish to make my duty harder?"

“What makes you say that?” came 2’s sudden snap. He parted between 1 and his apprentice, who was shaking like a leaf. The frail inventor was on the verge of fury. “You’re the fool, 1. You pin problems on anyone who could take the fall for it. You know a lot more than you give way, and you hope to keep your knowledge and us away so we can grovel at your every command."

Struck dumb, 1 looked between the company, the frowns, and pinpointing gazes. He twitched and faltered for a moment, searching for the final, prominent excuse he had. “Where would you be without me then, hm? Would you lead them? With this threat rising from the ashes?”

2 adopted a deadly calm face. One that saw layers deep into the doll before him. “You’re afraid. Afraid someone will take your only show of power, aren’t you?” He advanced with each revelation. To everyone’s astonishment, 1 backed away from him until he was the one cornered. “You’re afraid of being left alone to rot like everything else in this bloody world, but you’re not afraid of leaving your own to perish.”

5 was plagued the ghostly memory of the Walker's gunfire, debris flying, the ground crushing into his optic. Subconsciously, he found himself at 7’s side, holding her hand. She clutched him close, watching the display that ticked down like a denotation.

1 was shocked beyond words at this show of defiance. 2 pursed his wrinkled lips and finished his bashing, almost sorrowfully. “ _You’re guided by fear.”_

“Enough!” 1 ordered, stamping his staff violently. 8 barged in, looming over the huddled stitchpunks. He reasserted the eldest’s control with a simple yet threatening brandishing of his giant knife.

“You would do well to keep the peace, or so help me,” 1’s whisper was laced with venom as he leaned in front of the second-oldest, “so help me Two, this will live in infamy.”

5 prayed 2 would had enough sense to back down. He could barely handle 7's rebellious streak. This was like aggravating a snake. Any second it would lash out...

Thankfully, his mentor did, but he never broke eye contact with his superior. "Of course," 2 whispered. He switched back into being the humble inventor but had made his points in front of those who needed to hear it. "Yes, indeed."

* * *

Long after the disputes, 5 puttered in the Workshop. He convinced 2 that he could keep an eye on their patient. Tired from the day, his teacher bade him goodnight, seeming older in a way. As if the confrontation sapped his strength.

Before they too left, the Twins nuzzled 7 where she lay propped on a makeshift bed. They gave 5 one big hug as a symbol of their thanks and scampered off. Silence seeped into the room, settling like stifling dust as the day played through the engineer's mind again.

Just as 5 was about to shelve a can of bolts, there came a whisper. "I'm sorry, Five."

He looked over a shoulder. 7's eyes were half-closed. Her feisty inner fire was no longer crackling, reduced to a sober smolder. 

5's rare anger was long gone too; it hadn't fit him. He was a pacifist, and underneath the fancy label, a coward. He crouched near the bedside, setting his elbows on it. "I'm sorry too. I can barely remember what I did because of y'know, everything, but I'm really sorry that it upset you."

7 chortled. Her digits drew along his cheek, delicate and tender. He hadn't ever felt that kind of touch. He'd only seen her do that to the Twins.

"Are-Are we still friends?" 

"What? Oh, of course. I.. I was just caught up in the pain and heat of the moment, heh.." She sighed, setting her hand down. 5 wished she hadn't stopped.

"We were all caught up in the moment," he murmured. "I haven't seen 2 be so.. so.." He couldn't find the right word. Neither could 7, who could agree it was something out of the ordinary.

"Me either, and we talk about 1 a _lot."_

5 flinched involuntarily. 7 noticed and sighed again. She held her elbows and shifted to face him fully. Her back stung, but she seemed to be wincing at something else entirely. "Five, can I tell you something?"

"That's what friends are for," he said.

She took her time to form her thoughts. 5's amiability dwindled. "Seven?"

"I don't like it here," she said finally. "I want to leave for good."

Just like that, 5's heart fell six feet under. He jolted up in utter disbelief, exclaiming, "Seven, you can't!"

"Shh!" She held a hand over his mouth, glancing at the curtains. Then she eased back, curling up and seeming small. "I need to, or else I'll go crazy as Six. I'm not trying to be selfish, I'm thinking of everyone's peace. Plus that _thing_ that attacked me. We need to be on our toes. And following 1's shadow isn't going to help us."

"But.." 5's optic lens glimmered. "You can't leave us. You can't leave _me._ What am I going to do?"

"Aw, missing me already?" 7 teased. "Come on, Five, you'll have Two. As you said, this place is safe. And you need to learn to take care of yourself and the others. You've shown promise."

5's face was still twisted with inexplicable disbelief. He loved his mentor, truly he did. But he also had a relationship he treasured with 7. There was strength in numbers, and she alone was so _strong_. So unlike him. He was drawn to the disbalancement, like she made part of him whole. Whenever they talked, whenever they shared warmth by a fire...

"Why would you want to go back out in the Emptiness? You almost died."

"I know, I'm still wondering how I'm not scarred on the inside, but I guess that's who I am, Five. I live to fight. And that's not what this group needs.. right now _._ "

"But what if you're wrong?"

Seven shrugged, closing her eyes. "What if 1 is wrong?"

Five already knew the answer to that. At least, the disputes revealed just how corrupt the elder's thinking was. Seven clashed and brought the worst out of him, and it would tear them all apart. Where would that end up leaving them? Alone. 5 didn't want to be alone, like when he woke up in the strange room with the pictures. 

Besides, 7 survived this ordeal. She really was a fighter, and he had to trust in her like 2 trusted in his skill in sewing her injury. He would hold the fort down for her, so to speak. Whenever she decided to come back- he was sure she would -things might have settled.

"Okay," 5 said. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"Yes, and I'm going to bring the Twins with me."

He nodded. She wanted to keep those two out of harm's way should 1 ever _really_ lose it without her knowing. 5 was fine with that; they were a bright duo and he personally would have his hands full just with 6. 

6\. The poor artist might be disappointed when he found out his little friends would leave.

7 sat up on a hand and brought him close in a hug. "Thank you for supporting me, by the way, Five. I know this is going to be hard, but it must be done."

5 nodded. It was all he could do, his brain was pretty 

"When do you think I could leave?"

"Once you heal completely," he replied. "We'll talk to 2 later, is that okay?" 

"Sure. You don't.." she fidgeted nervously, ".. you don't think it'll hurt him, will it?"

"No. He might even be for it. He understands your struggle." 5 couldn't comprehend why they were all together, such different personalities, abilities, and motives. Personally, he didn't see how their dysfunctionality would ensure their survival. It felt like the group was missing something vital, a cog that would make them work better. He could feel it with each pulse of his soul. Something...

7 began to drift off to sleep. "Five, remember to keep your head on. Now more than ever. We'll find our way in this world eventually."

5 watched her optics slid shut. He listened to her peaceful breathing, and then snuffed out a candle.

_I believe you._


End file.
